


feeling like the first thing on your wish list

by eu_noia



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Christmas, F/F, Friends to Lovers, Modern AU, watching christmas lights together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-07
Updated: 2020-01-07
Packaged: 2021-02-27 14:28:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22158616
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eu_noia/pseuds/eu_noia
Summary: “Careful, Adora,” Catra smirked as she dipped Adora and pulled her back up. “I might just start to think you’re flirting with me.”Adora pressed their foreheads together. “Would that be so bad?”“No,” Catra hummed, feeling more at ease in this moment than she had all night. “I guess not.”Or, Catradora watching Christmas lights in the park
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 157





	feeling like the first thing on your wish list

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AkariHope](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AkariHope/gifts).



> my gift for @akarihope on tumblr! a bit later than I originally planned, but I hope you like it!

Standing in front of their shared mirror, Catra groaned as she struggled to fix her tie for the party tonight. Behind her, Adora giggled.

“Yeah, yeah, you just laugh,” Catra huffed, but she couldn’t help the smile that formed as she locked eyes with her best friend, watching from her bed – well, their bed. “At least you don’t have to go to some stupid office party on fucking Christmas Eve.”

Adora grinned at her. “It’s the Annual Horde Christmas Ball, you can’t barely call that an office party. That’s like –“

“- like saying you don't have a massive forehead.”

“Hey!” Adora laughed as she lunged towards Catra, swatting at her arm.

Catra caught Adora’s wrist, letting out a chuckle. “It’s still just a dumb party where I’m expected to socialize,” she scrunched her nose as she pulled her friend up from the bed, closer to her. “I’d rather spend Christmas Eve with you.”

Adora wrapped her arms around Catra from behind, resting her chin on Catra’s shoulder, and met Catra’s gaze in the mirror. Catra immediately relaxed against her, leaning her head against Adora’s shoulder.

The blonde shot her a playful look. “Now that’s a first. Normally you’d rather be anywhere than with me and my friends.”

“I want to spend Christmas Eve with you,” Catra hummed at their reflections, “I didn’t say anything about your friends.”

She was joking – half-joking. Okay, so maybe at first Catra hadn’t really liked Adora’s friends. And maybe she hadn’t really given them a fair chance, to begin with. She was just really protective over her friends, and when she’d first met Adora and there had been that immediate click, she’d been afraid that her friends would convince Adora to stay away from her. She was a bit paranoid back then.

(Another gift of her neglectful mother, apparently, as her therapist had explained to her.)

Over time, she found she could actually find it pretty well with Bow. Mermista too, but that was because they had the same dry humor and sass. Glimmer had been a whole other story.

“Oh?” Adora raised an eyebrow, returning Catra’s focus to the warmth of her best friend. “And what would we do then? Spend Christmas Eve watching Netflix like every single other night of the year?”

“Hmm, I could think of other things we could do instead,” Catra drawled, running a tempting finger up Adora’s arm.

Adora pushed Catra’s hand away. “Shut up,” she laughed, but her reddening cheeks betrayed her. Catra smirked.

“Or what?”

Adora rolled her eyes, but she had that fond smile and that one particular look in her eyes, the one that Catra still hadn’t fully figured out yet. Which bothered her, because she knew Adora like the back of her hand. So she liked to think.

“Here, let me help you.” Adora let Catra go to turn her around by the shoulders and reached for the tie. Her tongue poked between her lips as she was trying to fix whatever Catra had done with it, and she frowned in concentration. It was absolutely adorable, pun not intended.

“Hey, you know,” Adora said, quickly looking up to meet Catra’s eyes before turning her focus back on the tie. “I could still come with you to the party if you want. Maybe it’s less dreadful if I’m there to keep you company?”

“Always so sweet, princess,” Catra said with a fond smile, brushing a lock that had fallen from the blonde’s ponytail behind her ear. Adora let go of the perfectly done tie and took a step behind to appreciate her handiwork. Catra immediately missed the closeness.

“But it’s okay. I’ll have to network, you know,” she pulled a face, and Adora laughed, “which means I probably won’t have much time for you and you’ll be bored out of your mind. Lord knows I’ll be.”

“Yeah, getting a promotion must be so hard, miss the CEO,” Adora teased.

Catra winked. “You know it, babe.”

Adora reached out for Catra’s hand and intertwined their fingers, looking at her with that unfamiliar but oh so familiar look again. “All right. If you’re sure.”

“I’m sure,” Catra smirked. “I just need to make an appearance, then spend the rest of the night pretending to be interested in what people say to me while looking for a way out, and with a little bit of luck I can still join you guys at Bow’s tonight.”

“Promise?” Adora squeezed her hand, and Catra couldn’t hold back a smile. It was just the effect Adora had on her.

“I promise.”

Catra never used to like Christmas. People rushing to get last-minute gifts for their family they saw once a year, pretending to be happy when they opened a gift even though everyone in the room knew it would just end up in the back of a closet somewhere … It seemed a bit overrated.

Back when she was a kid she never celebrated it either, because her mom never had the money. Actually, she did, but she just didn’t want to spend it on her daughter. Big surprise there.

But then Catra went to college and met Adora. Adora, with her stupid, Instagram-worthy friends and pretty laugh and annoying love for Christmas. Adora, who quickly became her best friend, whom she now shared an apartment with.

Adora was the one who got her to like Christmas, really, genuinely like Christmas, because now she could spend it with people she loved.

Ugh, she sounded like a Hallmark Christmas movie protagonist.

Still, Christmas was fine, she thought as she shook the snow off her shoes, but Christmas Eve was the worst. Whoever in her company had thought it’d be a fun idea to organize an obligatory ball on Christmas Eve, the night literally everyone rather stayed home than talk to the most annoying people you’ll ever meet about work of all things, that guy should be in jail.

It was now almost midnight and she’d finally managed to get away from all the people trying to get her attention, to give her the next empty 'congratulations with your promotion'. With a finger, she pulled her bow tie loose, finally, and pressed the doorbell of Bow’s home.

Stumbling and a banging sound came through the door, and then a muffled voice Catra vaguely recognized as Mermista’s. “Sea Hawk, put that lighter down or _I swear_ I’ll kill you.”

Yup, definitely Mermista.

The door opened, and suddenly Catra was met with loud Christmas music and Bow’s beaming face. “Catra! You made it!”

“I survived, yeah,” Catra smirked. “Did Sea Haw set the tree on fire again?”

“Not yet when I left, but,” Bow looked as it was physically painful to think of Sea Hawk having free rein in his living room, “you know Sea Hawk.”

“Unfortunately.”

Bow grinned at her and his face cleared. “But hey, Merry Christmas! Come in!”

Catra entered behind her and shrugged her suit jacket off. Inside the music was even louder than outside, and the constant yelling and laughter coming from the living room made her fear for Bow’s furniture.

“Do you want anything to drink? I’ll get you something to drink,” Bow said as he took the jacket out of her hands and draped it on the banister.

Catra chewed her lip. She was with the car and she needed to get Adora home too, who was probably drunk by now and who then got very loopy. A little flirty and very touchy-feely, too.

But what the hell, her and Adora’s apartment was, like, two blocks from here. She nodded. “But make it a strong one. It’s the season to be merry and get drunk, after all,” she winked.

Bow beamed. “Just go through that door, I’ll be right there.”

The living room looked more mess than party. It definitely looked more destroyed than Bow had probably planned for, but pretty on-brand for this group of people. Sea Hawk was passionately arguing with Mermista, probably about how a flaming Christmas tree was so much more festive than a boring normal one, knowing him. Mermista on her part looked as if she was about ready to pull her hair out. Granted, that was how she looked most of the time, but it was also a feeling Catra knew pretty well from her few one-on-one talks with Sea Hawk.

Except for that one time when they had teamed up to set his speedboat on fire. That had been pretty fun.

The party had shoved the couches to the side to make place for a makeshift dance floor, where people were having the time of their lives. She recognized Perfuma, Glimmer, and Adora between them, Adora looking pretty in her burgundy dress and pretty drunk, too. On the side was Entrapta, operating the sound system. When the first notes of Mariah Carey’s 'All I Want for Christmas’ started playing, Scorpia and Frosta, who both had a microphone in their hands, went wild. Everyone cheered.

Oh great, karaoke again.

As soon as she entered the room, Adora paused midturn and positively squealed. “Catra! You made it!”

Catra smirked. “Missed me, princess?” She grunted as she was hit with the full force of Adora hugging her. From over Adora’s shoulder, she saw Scorpia waving at her as she started singing with Frosta, and Catra tried to give a small wave back, which was easier said than done with Adora holding her so tight. Mermista looked at her too, raising one eyebrow in an amused expression as she saw their position, to which Catra generously offered her middle finger.

“Merry Christmas, Catra,” Adora said, burying her face in Catra’s neck.

“Are you drunk?” Catra raised her eyebrows.

“Nooo.” Adora looked up, her pupils dilated and way too close to Catra’s face. Catra swallowed.

“Yes, you are.”

“Yes I am,” Adora agreed, her words slightly slurring. “But it’s the season to be married and get drunk.”

“To be merry and get drunk.” Catra was slightly amused at her best friend, though the thought made her heart flutter. “It’s cruel that you use my own words against me.”

“And what are you gonna do about it?”

Catra rested her hands on Adora’s hips, pulling her best friends closer to her. “What do you want me to do, princess?”

Adora tilted her head earnestly. “We should do karaoke together.”

Catra blinked. Then let out a snort. “Sure. Because I’m going to sing Christmas songs willingly.”

“Why not? It’s fun!” Adora said, then took one of Catra’s hands in her own and tried to spin Catra around, while singing along to Mariah Carey (and Frosta and Scorpia).

_“‘Cause I just want you here tonight_

__

__

_Holding onto my so tight_

_What more can I do_

_Oh, Baby all I want for Christmas is you.”_

At this point Catra had taken over from Adora, taking both hands in hers and spinning Adora out and back into her. Adora laughed and wrapped her arms around Catra’s neck, all the while just singing along. A bit out of tune and some words slurring, but she didn’t care.

“Careful, Adora,” Catra smirked as she dipped Adora and pulled her back up. “I might just start to think you’re flirting with me.”

Adora pressed their foreheads together. “Would that be so bad?”

“No,” Catra hummed, feeling more at ease in this moment than she had all night. “I guess not.”

At that moment the song ended, and Glimmer called Adora away for their turn at karaoke while Bow returned with Catra’s drink. He raised his eyebrows as she reached for the glass.

“What?”

He looked at her, then shook his head. “Nothing.”

She narrowed her eyes at him.

“Wildcat!”

Catra let out an ‘oof’ as she was engulfed in a classing, bone-crushing hug, but couldn’t help the grin that spread on her face at the affections of one of her best friends.

Scorpia was beaming when she finally let her go. “I’m so happy you’re here! Merry Christmas!”

“Merry Christmas to you too, Scorp,” Catra said, then looked behind her friend. “You too, ‘Trapta.”

Entrapta appeared from behind Scorpia. “Catra! I knew there was about a seventy-four percent chance you might show up!”

“Always a pleasure to see you again.”

“How was the ball?” Scorpia asked.

“Meh.” Catra knew that wasn’t what Scorpia actually wanted to ask. One, because Scorpia had been her best friend for years and two, because she was way too earnest and couldn’t hide her emotions in the slightest. So she looked expectantly at her friend.

No surprise, she caved almost immediately.

Scorpia leaned closer as if she was about to spill a secret. “And what about you and Adora?”

Catra frowned. “What about me and Adora?”

“Are you … you know,” Scorpia said, making a motion with her prosthetics Catra couldn’t possibly decipher. But Catra had been asked this same question a thousand times before, so she could guess.

“You know we’re just friends, Scorp,” she answered with a smile, though the corners of her mouth twitched. “She doesn’t see me that way, and I’m not planning on destroying our friendship for feelings I may or may not have.”

“Which you definitely have,” Scorpia beamed. “I knew it!”

“We’ve talked about this before. It’s not that difficult to guess.”

“It is kinda obvious,” Entrapta chimed in, taking out her phone and typing at the speed of light. “According to my data, your pupils dilate about 30 percent when you look at her and right now, your feet are pointing in Adora’s direction. Which is a definite sign of attraction, as at least twelve different studies have proven.”

Catra hissed. “Entrapta! I told you to stop analyzing me!”

Entrapta simply shrugged. “That’s barely analyzing. You’d have to be blind to think you’re not in love with Adora.”

Scorpia nodded.

“And I’m pretty sure Adora loves you too, judging by her body language when you two are together. She smiles more, blushes faster, and she’s been sneaking glances at you ever since we started talking.” Entrapta added matter-of-factly.

Catra sneaked a glance over Entrapta’s shoulder to where Glimmer and Adora had just started their second song, and immediately met with the familiar sky blue of Adora’s eyes. A bright smile immediately broke on Adora’s lips when she saw Catra looking. Catra winked at her.

Both Entrapta and Scorpia looked at her with raised eyebrows, and Catra sighed. “Yeah, I know. I just - I don’t know.”

She’d entertained the thought that Adora maybe liked her back maybe once or twice, maybe twenty. But how was she to say that she was deadly afraid to be rejected and that she didn’t want to scare Adora away? (Again, thanks mom.)

Mermista suddenly appeared behind her and leaned heavily on her shoulder. Catra grunted. “It’s not that difficult. Just make out with her, tell her you love her and then you two bang. Then we don’t have to deal with you two eye-fucking from across the room anymore.”

Catra burned bright red. Scorpia and Entrapta nodded.

“I’ll take that into consideration, then,” Catra murmured, blushing like crazy.

Mermista smirked self-satisfied. “You’re welcome, babe. Anyway,” she stood up, pulling the drink out of Catra’s hands and downing it with one gulp, and pulled a face. “I’m gonna get you something stronger than whatever this was. You’re gonna need it.”

“Tell me why we are walking again?” Catra huffed, breath coming out white in the winter air.

“Because you’re too drunk to drive.” Adora hugged Catra’s arm as they walked across the pavement back home. “And so am I,” she admitted. Her nose had reddened from the cold and Catra thought it was insanely cute. “Besides, it’s not even that far.”

Catra pouted. “But it’s cold outside.”

Adora grinned. Catra’s eyes widened in realization. “Oh no, please don’t.”

“Oh yes.” Adora’s eyes were glinting.

“Adora, no.”

“Adora, yes.”

Adora looked at her with those big puppy dog eyes, and Catra rolled her eyes with an amused smile on her face. She was not going soft.

_“I really can’t stay –“_

Catra glared at the blonde. “Nope. Not gonna.” The blonde shrugged and went on.

_“I gotta go away –“_

Now Adora wiggled her eyebrows, and Catra huffed out a laugh. Then sighed.

_“Baby, it’s cold outside.”_

(So maybe she was going soft. Maybe she’d been soft for Adora for ages.)

_“This evening has been –“_

_“Been hoping that you’d dropped in.”_

_“So very nice.”_

_“I’ll hold your hands, they’re just like ice.”_ She raised Adora’s hand to her lips and pressed a kiss on her knuckles, smirking when she saw Adora blush. “For real, your hands are ice cold, princess.”

“Then you’ll have to warm them, won’t you,” Adora said, giving Catra’s hands a little squeeze.

For a while, they just walked in comfortable silence. Catra took Adora’s hand in both of hers and held them close to her mouth, hoping her breath would warm them and occasionally brushing her lips against, then changing places with Adora so she could do the same with the other. Adora mostly just looked in front of her, with the occasional small smile when she locked eyes with Catra’s gold and blue. Her face was adorable red, though that could be from the cold as much as it could be from blushing.

Either way, it was adorable.

Mermista’s suggestion came back to mind, and Catra had to look away for a second. She liked Mermista, she really did, but the girl was gonna kill her. How was she supposed to even look at Adora if Mermista’s voice kept repeating in her head?

Catra felt a tug at their joined hands when Adora suddenly stood still. Her eyes were bright as she looked past Catra, who raised her eyebrows and looked over her shoulder. She noticed they were at the little Christmas market this part of the city set up in the park each year.

Adora tugged again at Catra’s hand, making the girl turn back to her friend. She looked hopeful.

Catra tried to keep her expression neutral but quickly caved. Years of Adora’s pretty big eyes had softened her considerably. She groaned inwardly.

“You know what? Fine,” she said, shrugging her suit jacket off. “But you’re gonna wear this. You look like ice.”

“They have blankets, Catra, I’ll be fine,” Adora said, rolling her eyes fondly, but didn’t resist as Catra helped her in the jacket.

“Pretty sure you’re not gonna survive that long, princess,” she winked.

Adora answered with a smile and tugged at her hand, and Catra let Adora lead her to the market. (Was there anywhere she wouldn’t follow Adora? Catra didn’t think so.)

“So, what do you want to do?” Adora asked as they stood at the entrance of what, which even Catra had to admit, was a pretty magical sight. It was over midnight but there were still enough people to make it seem crowded, people who had seemingly had the same idea as them. Santa Claus and two of his elves had a throne not far from them, though there were barely children running around anymore. Little wooden houses sold different things, from mittens and scarves to Christmas themed snacks. Everything was designed in either red or green, with fake snow, and little lights were hanging in the trees.

Her eyes fell on a stand not too far where they were selling warm drinks, and she instinctively felt in her pocket for money. She smiled up at Adora. “I’ll get us some hot chocolate, okay?”

When she returned with two hot cups in both her hands, she saw Adora a little further smiling politely at Santa and coming back with a large blanket. The blanket was red with reindeers (because of course it was), and just big enough for two people if they cuddled real close.

“You told Santa you’ve been a good girl this year, princess?” Catra smirked as Adora draped the blanket over both of them, and Adora rolled her eyes as she took Catra’s arm so they both fit under the cloth.

“Ha ha. I actually told him how bad you’ve been this year, and he told me no presents for you if you’re not nice to me.” Adora stuck her tongue out to her.

“Aw, you talk about me to strangers. That’s so sweet.”

“Shut up,” Adora’s lips twitched as she tried to keep a serious face, and she took one of the cups from Catra.

Cuddled close, they walked a few minutes in content silence, drinking hot chocolate, watching as most marketers started to pack up their stuff. It was pretty late after all. Catra took a swift glance at her watch.

“So, what now?” Catra asked as they slowly walked towards the second exit of the Christmas market. “Ready to go home?”

Adora nuzzled closer to her. “No, wait. Let’s take a walk.”

Catra snorted. “What do you think we’ve been doing for the past fifteen minutes, princess?”

Adora nudged her. “You know what I mean,” she said as she took Catra’s hand back in hers. Catra wondered what it was with Christmas that made Adora so affectionate. Granted, they held hands all the time (it was easier not to lose each other in the crowd) and when they watched Netflix they usually cuddled on the couch (Adora made a great pillow, what could she say?). But that was just normal friend stuff, right? Now it felt more …. Authentic, if that was the right word for it.

Ugh. Maybe Scorpia and Entrapta had gotten to her head.

Adora led them to the small park closeby. Only the stumbling from the marketers in the background and the occasional car in the distance disrupted the otherwise almost serene silence, and it was as if the two of them were the only ones left awake in this city. The Christmas lights in the trees were still on, and Catra couldn’t help but find it extremely alluring. Did she already say magical?

She watched in awe at the scenery before them, forgetting about the cold night air for a moment. She was hyper-aware of Adora’s hand warm in hers, Adora’s body close to hers.

Glancing sideways, Catra realized Adora was staring at her, a small smile on her lips and blue eyes studying her face. Catra’s mouth suddenly felt dry, and she licked her lips.

“C’mere,” Adora slightly bumped against her, then slid down on a step and pulled Catra with her. Catra almost let go of her cup but managed to save it, setting it safely down on the pavement. “Let’s stay here for a moment."

Sliding down a step lower, Catra made herself comfortable between Adora’s legs, back against Adora’s abdomen, and she let her head rest against her chest. The blanket was wrapped around them again, pulling them even closer together.

Adora silently started combing her fingers through Catra’s unruly locks, and Catra let out a satisfied sigh, leaning into the touch. She relaxed a bit more, the stress of earlier in the day disappearing bit by bit with every soft pull on her hair.

Eyes half-closed in contentment, Catra looked up through her lashes, and her breath caught in her throat. The fairy lights in the trees shone like a halo, reflecting in Adora’s eyes. She looked beautiful.

Adora was taking in the lights and decorations around them, humming along to a tune Catra vaguely recognized as another Christmas song, though she couldn’t place which one. Then her wandering gaze met Catra’s and the corners of her lips tugged up in an easy smile.

“This is nice,” Adora murmured.

“Yeah …”

Their eyes were locked on each other for a moment before Catra’s eyes started roaming across Adora’s face, the bridge of her nose, the curve of her lips … She looked away.

“Scorpia and Entrapta asked if we’re dating,” she chuckled, be it a bit forced, eyes focused on the decorated fountain a bit further.

“Really now,” Adora hummed, and Catra dared a quick glance back. Adora had that look in her eyes again, the one Catra still hadn’t figured out but that made her heart skip a beat. “Glimmer asked the same tonight. So did Bow.”

Catra licked her lips, not really sure what to make of that. “Huh. Crazy.”

“Yeah. Crazy.”

It was silent again, but this time it was different. Something was hanging between them now.

Adora let go of her hair and adjusted her arms around Catra, eyes locked on the lights but not really seeing them. She bit her lip, then spoke again. “Do you remember the first time we met?”

“Which time?” Catra answered cheekily. “Officially, the second year of college. Right after winter break.”

Adora hummed, blue meeting heterochromatic eyes again. “Unofficially, then.”

Catra grinned. “When we made out at that Christmas party right before winter break.”

“Before that, even.”

(Catra remembered. They met once before that Christmas party, not counting the times they’d seen each other from across campus. Maybe Catra had liked Adora even back then.

She’d been late for a meeting with her student advisor on the other side of their campus, and of course, they’d just set up a small Christmas market right in her way. She cursed but had no choice than to weave her way through the crowd.

When she suddenly bumped into someone in all her haste, her first instinct had been to glare at that person for being in her way. If she’d not lost her balance.

Two hands immediately grabbed her arms, holding her from falling. Catra looked up, right into the pretty blue eyes of the girl in front of her, and suddenly forgot she was gonna be mad.

“Looks like you just fell for me,” The blonde smirked.

Catra choked.

_What the fuck?_

Her mouth fell open. The blonde froze.

“Oh my God, I’m so sorry!” She stammered, her face burning as red as her jacket. “I don’t know why I said that!”

Catra realized she was staring, mouth dry, and licked her lips. Definitely not the time for gay panic, she thought, but dammit. She was supposed to be the smooth one.

“Heh, don’t worry about it.” And, in an attempt to take back control, she winked. “You just really swept me off my feet there for a moment, princess.”

Her voice was steady enough, so that was good.

Somehow the blonde looked even more embarrassed than she felt. She had her hair pulled back into a ponytail and her red winter vest almost matched Catra’s own, admittedly too thin, red leather jacket. Also, not less important, she was still holding Catra, and Catra couldn’t help but notice how muscular the girl was under her heavy clothes.

“God, just kill me,” she muttered, letting go of Catra to cover her eyes with a hand.

Catra smirked. “And here I was thinking angels couldn’t be killed.”

The blonde lowered her hand and glared at her. “I hate you.” There was no malice behind the words.

Catra was really enjoying this, now that she felt back in control. Just a little payback for how the blonde had flustered her earlier.

Then someone behind the girl cleared their throat. Over the blonde’s shoulder, Catra noticed the boy (with a crop top? In winter?) and a girl in a glittery purple jacket and fluffy white ear warmers. The boy’s eyes glinted mischievously as he pointed at something above both of them.

The girl froze as she looked up. Catra followed her gaze.

Mistletoe. Of course.

The blonde swallowed audibly when she met Catra’s eyes again. Catra smirked confidently. Oh, this was going to be fun. Tilting her head, she took a step closer so they were now practically standing chest to chest.

“Well,” her fingers toyed with the blonde’s white scarf as she cheekily looked up. “It’s tradition, isn’t it?”

Different emotions flashed through the girl’s blue eyes, but then she licked her lips and grinned. “I guess it is.” She put a hand on Catra’s hip and pulled her closer.

Catra turned red. She had expected the girl to get flustered, not this.

“Backing out already?” The girl smirked, one corner of her mouth turned up and looking smug.

It felt like they were playing a game, and at this moment the blonde was winning. Catra narrowed her eyes. No way in hell she was gonna let that happen.

The girl wasn’t that much taller than her, but still tall enough that Catra would have to step on her toes to reach her lips. Instead, she pulled at the scarf to get the girl to lean down and brushed their lips together.

The blonde immediately deepened the kiss, and Catra took it for what it was; a challenge. She traced her jawline with her fingertips as she softly bit her lips, and the blonde gasped in the kiss.

When Catra pulled back after what had been only a few seconds but felt longer, she was glad to see the girl’s cheeks had grown pink. A nice distraction from her own heated face, which was from the cold, obviously, not because she just kissed a pretty girl of whom she didn’t even know the name.

“Well this has been fun,” Catra said as she glanced at her watch. Yeah, she was definitely late now. Worth it, though. “But I have somewhere to be. Catch you later, princess!”

Only when she was far enough did she bring her cold hands to her cheeks. Yeah, she was definitely burning too.)

Catra had thought about that kiss non-stop, before seeing the same girl again two days later at a Christmas party. That time with alcohol in their system, their kisses had been harder and more passionate. Only after winter break, when they turned out to be in the same class, did she learn the girl’s name. Adora.

Adora, who was now holding her tightly in the park under the Christmas lights. Who was now looking at her.

“… Why aren’t we dating?” Adora asked tentatively.

Catra looked up. “Because you never asked me out.”

Adora huffed, almost offended but not really. Catra knew her too well for that. “Oh, because you’ve asked me out so many times.”

“Glad we’re on the same page, princess.”

Adora laughed.

It was ridiculous, really. Catra had known Adora for years, had been in love with her for the majority of it, if not all. Maybe even from the first moment they kissed, which conveniently was also the first moment they met. At first, it had been fear of rejection, which turned into fear of losing Adora, and then it became just the way things were.

And now they were living together, even slept in the same bed together. No wonder their friends thought they were dating. Though they probably skipped the dating phase a long time ago and just straight went to inseparable.

She didn’t say any of those things. Instead, Catra turned around to sit on her knees and face Adora, arms resting on Adora’s knees. “Why, is there something you wanna confess to me, princess?”

Adora’s eyes were soft as she pressed their foreheads together, with that look she only had for Catra, and Catra thought she finally figured out what it meant.

“Nothing you don’t already know.”

Catra smiled back. Yeah, she knew.

(“I want to kiss you again,” Adora said quietly, eyes wandering to Catra’s lips.

Catra hummed. “There’s no mistletoe this time.”

Adora’s lips brushed against hers. Her hand slid slowly into Catra’s hair. “I don’t need mistletoe to know I want to kiss you.”

Catra kissed back.)

**Author's Note:**

> next Christmas, they both give each other an engagement ring as a present


End file.
